C@N-DO Peer-to-Peer Observation amongst Teaching and Learning Support Staff

C@N-DO Peer-to-Peer Observation is a three-stage developmental process designed to help you to learn with and from fellow professionals and to develop and enhance your practice. Participants can choose to focus on a variety of aspects of their practice: peer observation of teaching online or in the classroom (A2, K4), provision of feedback on assessment (A3), support for individual student needs (V1, V2), etc.

C@N-DO Peer-to-Peer Observation can be undertaken online as well as in the classroom. Forms are provided to guide each stage of the process:

-Preparation for Observation

-Observation

-Discussion and action planning.

(These three reflect the steps typically known as Pre-Observation, Observation & Post-Observation.)

Please ensure that students know that the observation is taking place, as part of staff professional development & to enhance their learning experience.

Stage 1 :Preparation for Observation

Within effective Peer-to-Peer observation, preparation is vital - to help clarify the learning goals for the process & to ensure the observer has key information to understand what they observe.

1. Think about the following questions:
  • What aspects of student learning would be most interesting for you to explore or investigate?(Note: this might be to understand better why something works well as much as something that is not working successfully.)
  • Is there an aspect of your teaching / support / assessment practice (face-to-face or online) which you would like to change or develop?
  • What are your goals in your subject teaching / support work? Are they being achieved?
The questions taken from Gosling and O’Connor 2006 and slightly
adapted.
2. Please take your own notes.
3. Select 3-4 issues which you would like to explore as the focus for Peer Observation of your practice.
4. Decide what the observer will need to know about the context of observation.

Now, complete the form below ready for the observer:

  • Complete all the sections shaded in grey on the next page.
  • The white areas are for the observer to complete.
  • Expand boxes as necessary.

Who will observe and be observed?
Practitioner: / Department/School:
Observer: / Department/School:
Observation Agenda / Context observed (e.g. lecture, seminar, online discussion, lab)
Issues selected as observation focus:
ObserveE choice of focus:
1.
2.
ObserveR choice of focus:
3.
4.
What will the observer need to know about the context they will observe?
Course / Module – e.g.Title, Leveland any other key information
Topic of the session/element of the course to be observed And where does this fit into the overall learning / teaching process on the module?
Teaching aims / focus:
The group: Size/nature of the group; are there any particular factors which the observer should be aware of?
Material: What handbooks and/or learning/teaching material will you provide for the observer?
If the observation is to take place online, which elements of the NILE site (or other tool) will the observer need to look at? e.g. a particular forum? part of the wiki?eTivity instructions?

Stage 2 : Observation

Write the issues selected as the observation ‘agenda’ in the area shaded in grey on this page; the white areas are for observer comments.

Observation Agenda
Aspects of practice agreed as observation focus: / Observer Thoughts / Comments (expand boxes as necessary)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Good Practice:
You could use the following section to note any other general points arising from the review. You will have built a collaboration with your colleague that should result in benefit to both of you. In any observation there will be aspects or practices that worked well and less well. In your feedback, try to be empathetic without passing judgment on what you have noticed.
During the observation …..:
I noticed ….
and I thought …..
I noticed ….
and I wondered …..
I noticed ….
and I wanted to ask you …

Adapted from Scrivener, J. Learning Teaching Task 9, p.211

Discussion and action planning

We recommend that each observation should be followed by

  • Written feedback from the Observer
  • Discussion between the Practitioner and the Observer
  • Written summaries of learning gained & future plans – suggested format below

Following this peer-to-peer observation process, I plan to:
Stop … / Start … / Continue …
On the basis of my role as observee
On the basis of my role as observer
Overall insights and thoughts in relation to my professional practice & development …